The newcomer talks reinventing herself, musical inspirations and her eccentric new track “NEVER MIND”.
Making an entrance before the end of 2020 is newcomer bshp with debut single “NEVER MIND”. Enter a fast-paced pop soundscape with her bubbly personality at the forefront, the rising singer pines for her lover to make his move over sultry R&B rhythms and building choruses. Showcasing her powerful vocal ability, bshp pulls us in immediately with the eccentric basslines guiding us through this K-pop-tinged tune.
Speaking on the tune, the singer said, “I wrote it with two of my really good friends who have seen two very different walks of life. We just wanted to write something that was just upbeat and different. it was kind of an imaginary situation, really, but it’s just about finding a new person and being excited about them.”
While we refer to the singer as a newcomer, she is far from it. Having first made her debut under the name Gabriella Vixen, the singer lent herself to classic R&B and American pop melodies. But with a new name comes a fresh start, and 2021 is looking like a year to keep an eye on the rising star, and we caught up with bshp talking new music, inspirations and what we can expect in the new year.
Check out the interview below…
How have you been during this uncertain time? How has it impacted your music and creativity?
I’ve found it hard, not being able to go out doesn’t phase me so much, but when the first lockdown happened, artists couldn’t go to sessions and of course shows and gigs stopped. I really struggled with that, especially having just come off a tour, I miss it so much. I was so upset that the situation impacted my releases, everything got pushed back. It’s tough as an artist when your’e sitting on everything ready to go but the universe isn’t allowing you to go ahead. I hardly wrote during lockdown, there wasn’t a lot of inspiration, most days I found it hard to get out of bed. I did buy a mic and recording stuff which i’m still learning to use and I may not have set aside the time to ever do that before though so thats a plus. The sessions I get to do now i guess i’m more grateful for cause there’s some ideas I’ve been sitting on that i look forward to working on.
How did growing up in Kent influence you sonically? Who were your musical heroes growing up?
I wouldn’t say there was a big music scene in Kent growing up, I listened to a lot of music of course, but my mum always played Stevie Wonder who I’m hugely inspired by, Paul Simon and Dusty Springfield to name a few. My dad listened to Bob Dylan and led Zeplin so there was a nice mix, I listen to a bit of everything really. I loved Whitney, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown and Coldplay growing up – I couldn’t name everyone I’ll be here all day!
How would you describe your genre?
I would say my music is pop with a mix of R&B, a little bit of soul influence. Each song varies between those genres.
What made you change your name from Gabriella Vixen to bshp? And do you think this marked a change in your sound?
Gabriella Vixen was given to me by a friend years ago, it kind of stuck but I never gave it too much thought. I wanted a fresh start, the music i had in my back catalogue that I wanted to release was a little fresher and different sounding. I prefer the way bshp looks and sounds, I think it suits me much better.
Congratulations on your debut single “Never Mind” – what was it inspired by?
I think everyone has experienced a guilty pleasure romance, I guess its just about a guy taking his time to make a move. It was written with the intention of It being cheeky and light-hearted, I don’t have many of those kinda tunes, they’re a bit deeper and more from the heart. So it was nice to write something like Never Mind.
You got your big break with your cover of Des’ree’s “Kissing You” on Love Island– what was your reaction when you found out it was going to be featured? And did your life change overnight?
I was so exited when I found out. A show that almost everyone I know tunes into would be hearing my cover on there so it really was a lovely moment for me. It was also the first song I put out under my new name bshp so it was a wicked way to kick start everything. I was in studio the night it was aired so I was getting lots of messages and tagged stories, which was cool. I checked the shazams before and after the episode too and that was crazy to me how so quickly they went up within minutes, a first for me as an artist. And life changing…well I will say, I get the most beautiful messages about that song. People tell me they’re using it as their wedding song which is so special. Its a classic and to know there’s people that love it like they love the original but in a different way is so important to me.
And what made you cover it in the first place? What is your connection to the track?
There was one session where I recorded about seven songs that I loved and had always wanted to cover; “Kissing You” I first heard in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet, with Leonardo De Caprio who I absolutely love. Im a huge fan of Luhrmanns films, the soundtracks are all amazing. The scene where Desree is singing Kissing you is so romantic, love a bit of romance.
What’s the most unusual place you pull inspiration from?
I wouldn’t say there was any unusual place I get my inspiration from, I think its really important to act on how your’e feeling and what your’e going through at the time- you might not feel like that again for a while. Of course sometimes you do have to get creative when there isn’t a lot going on, talk to friends for inspo, maybe they’re dealing with something or I might have a look at quotes I really like and then build a story around that.
What do you want fans to take from your music?
I want anyone that listens to understand through my music that no situation is unique, someone out there is experiencing the same thing. I just want it to be relatable. I want listeners to be able to hear something by bshp for every mood.
What’s next for you? What are you looking forward to in 2021?
So much more music is coming! It’s all I want right now, and to perform again-for me it’s the best part. You get to truly see how your music is being received performing live. Looking at stats and social media just isn’t the same. I’m looking forward to restoring a bit of normality and for everyone to be a little less scared when things have calmed down. I really hope that everyones energy will shift in a positive way and we’ll be more grateful for the simpler things.